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Turning Down the Noise: Silence, Solitude, and Your Nervous System
Explore the clinical link between silence and your nervous system, and learn how to turn down digital noise in Old La Sal. Most of us live with more daily static than our brains were built to handle; here is a simple blueprint to help you finally unplug.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Apr 288 min read


The Kitchen as a Cathedral: Sacred Among the Pots and Pans
Our kitchen isn’t fancy, but it’s intentional. Standing at the sink with a view of the La Sal Mountains and well water in your glass, even doing dishes can become prayer. This reflection explores how the Deer Creek kitchen can become a small cathedral of presence, gratitude, and slow, simple meals.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Apr 279 min read


The Sanctuary of the Ordinary: Practicing Presence in Small Moments
Learn how practicing presence in small moments can transform ordinary daily routines into deep spiritual rest in Old La Sal. Step away from the constant digital scroll and find an intentional, quieter way of being present to the world around you.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Apr 277 min read


Old La Sal History: Roots, Memory, and Living Presence
Discover the legacy of Old La Sal roots, where family memories, rugged history, and deep desert silence meet under the mountains. Long before faith or a retreat had a name, this landscape was quietly teaching me how to listen to the soul.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Apr 2711 min read


Stories by the Campfire: The “Coyote Creek” Mimic (A La Sal Mountains Bigfoot Story)
Discover the chilling legend of the Coyote Creek Mimic, a unique La Sal Mountains Bigfoot story born in the high desert dark. When the campfire burns low in Old La Sal, the silence isn't empty—it's listening, and sometimes it decides to copy your name.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Apr 137 min read


Stories by the Campfire: The Red‑Brown Drifter La Sal Mountains
Uncover the eerie legend of the Red‑Brown Drifter La Sal Mountains ranchers whispered about when cattle vanished without a trace. When the sun drops behind the Moab cliffs, you'll see why the high-desert shadows up here sometimes have fur.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Apr 139 min read


Stories by the Campfire: The Old La Sal Sentinel
Uncover the eerie legend of the Old La Sal Sentinel walking the ruins of a forgotten Utah ghost town at dusk. When the last families hauled their lives uphill, something else slipped into the empty space left behind.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Apr 67 min read


Stories by the Campfire: La Sal Mountains Lake Night and the Dark Beyond the Fire
Experience a powerful La Sal Mountains lake night dark fire story and find a deeper sense of solitude away from the Moab crowds. Out here by the water, the shadows remind us what it feels like to be small, exposed, and truly alive under the stars.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Apr 58 min read


Stories by the Campfire: Snowstorm in the La Sal Mountains
Survive and reflect on a powerful snowstorm La Sal Mountains weather event from the cozy safety of our high-desert cabin. When the wind slams the walls and the grid goes dark, you find out what truly matters in the space between four walls.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Apr 48 min read


Stories by the Campfire: Ghost Streets of Old La Sal Cow Town near Moab, UT
Walk through history and explore the forgotten streets of a La Sal ghost town Moab visitors can easily discover near our cabin. Out here, the ruins speak of pioneer grit, old cowboy legends, and the quiet mysteries that linger after dark.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Apr 410 min read


La Sal Mountains Campfire Story: The Night Something Moved in the Brush
Discover the true inspiration behind La Sal Mountains campfire stories from the porch of our secluded high-desert retreat. Out here in the open basin, the line between a grazing deer and the unexplained gets pleasantly blurred after midnight.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Apr 38 min read


Bigfoot, Campfires, and La Sal Solitude: Local Legends from a Moab Kid
Explore the local legends of Big Foot La Sal Solitude Moab country from the porch of your next mountain cabin getaway. Tucked away under dark skies, it's the perfect place to put your phone down, listen to the pines, and decide for yourself what’s moving in the shadows.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Apr 25 min read


Old La Sal, Utah: Wild West Ghost Town History, Ruins & Exploration Guide Near Moab
Discover the La Sal Wild West ghost town. Tour historic pioneer ruins, outlaw hideouts, and fort cabins just minutes from Deer Creek Retreat. Walk the rugged meadows where Brigham Young's settlers and Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch once crossed paths beneath the peaks of the La Sal Mountains.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Feb 155 min read


A Spiritual Connection to the Beauty of Old La Sal: A Legacy of a Man with a Dream
I thought he was crazy. In the 1990s, my brother Todd bought five acres of "nothing" near Moab. It took his tragic passing for me to realize he was building a legacy. Read the story of how that raw mountain desert became Deer Creek Retreat, and find your own invitation to a deep spiritual connection.

Justin Shannon, Ph.D.
Feb 108 min read
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